I think Chris Viven has it right. But, if you are still interested in pursuing this, Toby Tyrrell has looked into this a bit.
http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/soes/staff/tt/eh/optics.html On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 6:16 PM, Andrew Lockley <[email protected]>wrote: > I have been advised to use GNU Octave for image processing. My guess is > the the best way to do this would be to draw a rectangle over the bloom and > compare it to a control rectangle elsewhere in the image. However, a pixel > by pixel comparison would also be useful, as it would better display the > range of albedo. Pixel comparisons would be prone to much greater error, as > I might pick a lucky pixel out. > > I have no experience of this kind of thing at all, so any tips or comments > are welcome. At this stage I'm just looking to get some back of envelope > calculations for the list, not get anything you could publish. > > One particular concern I have is that the infra red (particularly the near > infra red) will be very significant. Obviously, this won't show up on a > photo. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to treat this? > > A > On Apr 18, 2012 1:20 PM, "Chris" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Andrew, >> >> If you search Google Images for 'ocean fertilisation' you will find a >> number of satellite images of blooms from ocean fertilisation >> experiments. Here are a couple of examples: >> >> http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/additional/science-focus/ocean-color/science_focus.shtml/iron_limits.shtml >> http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/oceangard/overview.php >> >> Also, if you search Google Images for 'Phytoplankton bloom' you will >> find plenty of images and there is a particularly good one from the >> western English Channel of a very bright coccolithophore bloom on this >> page: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/soes/staff/tt/eh/satbloompics.html. >> >> However, don't get too carried away with the possibility of generating >> phytoplankton blooms for their albedo effect. They would have all the >> potential side-effects of ocean fertilisation and since phytoplankton >> blooms are transient events, I find it difficult to see how you could >> maintain a significant albedo effect over time. Also, how could you >> ensure the "right" phytoplankton would bloom to ensure the albedo >> effect. >> >> Chris. >> >> On Apr 17, 2:56 pm, Andrew Lockley <[email protected]> wrote: >> > This image appears to show a clear albedo effect from blooms >> > >> > http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Phytoplankton_SoAtlantic_20060215. >> .. >> > >> > Does anyone have a set of high quality ocean iron fertilization images >> > which can be formally evaluated for albedo? I think this would be a very >> > interesting study. >> > >> > Maybe we have missed a trick on OIF? Maybe It's actually an albedo SRM >> > method cunningly disguised as CDR. >> > >> > Interestingly this would make a powerful negative feedback which could >> > explain the decent into glacials, as aeolian dust fluxes into the >> southern >> > ocean changed albedo, causing feedbacks which caused further cooling >> and >> > drying as well as carbon drawdown. This would then lead to more dust >> flux, >> > etc. >> > >> > Hopefully someone can check whether the above is right or not. >> > >> > A >> > On Apr 15, 2012 5:22 PM, "Andrew Lockley" <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > > Scientific American article identifies AGW sea albedo effect. This >> > > potentially suggests ocean fertilization and similar manipulations >> could >> > > target albedo, not CO2. Awesome possibilities. Geoengineers, start >> your >> > > computers. >> > >> > > A >> > >> > > *sciam* Ocean-Borne Microbes May Help Speed Warminghttp:// >> t.co/NDQd2jm4 >> > >> > > Ocean-Borne Microbes May Help Speed Warming >> > >> > > The proliferation of cyanobacteria in oceans may accelerate warming >> > >> > > By Lucas Laursen | April 15, 2012 | >> > >> > > Trichodesmium >> > >> > > Image: Courtesy of Elizabeth C. Sargent/University of Southampton and >> > > National Oceanography Center, Southampton >> > >> > > On their own, cyanobacteria are tiny photosynthetic organisms >> floating in >> > > the sea. But when they join forces, linking together into chains and >> then >> > > mats by the millions, they can become a threat. Before long, the >> bacteria >> > > change the color of the sea’s surface and even soften the wind-tossed >> chop. >> > > One study of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, although >> they >> > > are not algae, predicted that rising sea temperatures could help the >> > > already widespread creatures expand their territory by more than 10 >> > > percent. Now researchers are asking whether mats of cyanobacteria >> might >> > > themselves affect local sea temperatures, thus creating a powerful >> feedback >> > > loop. >> > >> > > Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous. They spew enough oxygen into the >> atmosphere >> > > to dictate the current mix of gases we breathe. They also compete—with >> > > great success—for nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. When >> > > cyanobacteria bloom, it is often at the cost of neighboring species >> such as >> > > fish or other phytoplankton. So if cyanobacteria are shaping the >> > > temperature of their growing patch of the ocean to favor themselves >> over >> > > cold-water critters, researchers want to know how they are doing it >> and >> > > what to expect next, says climate scientist Sebastian Sonntag of the >> > > University of Hamburg in Germany. >> > >> > > Sonntag and his colleagues have adapted a computer model that >> describes >> > > the mixing of layers of seawater to take into account two kinds of >> changes >> > > produced by the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium: more light absorption >> and >> > > less choppy waves. The updated model predicted sea-surface warming of >> up to >> > > two degrees Celsius because of light absorption. The wave dampening >> > > appeared to affect local temperatures by about one degree C. >> > >> > > This may be the first such study of algal blooms in the ocean,says >> aquatic >> > > microbiologist Jef Huisman of the University of Amsterdam, who has >> studied >> > > light absorption by cyanobacteria in lakes. Both Sonntag and Huisman >> say >> > > they would like to ask oceanographers to measure seawater temperature >> where >> > > cyanobacteria grow and in nearby empty areas to test the new model’s >> > > predictions and to improve future versions. >> > >> > > This article was published in print as "Blue Bacteria in Bloom."- >> Hide quoted text - >> > >> > - Show quoted text - >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "geoengineering" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. 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